During the five-day study tour, 20 participants from Serbia including representatives of Uzice, Paracin, Vrbas and Krusevac, the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities and the Ministry of Mining and Energy, had the chance to visit the diverse Swiss EEA cities of Basel, Biel, Lucerne, and Zurich. The Serbian representatives had the chance to learn about the Lucerne lake energy projects which use lake water for heating and cooling, and about the energy network with the use of waste heat and renewable heat from groundwater in Zurich and other relevant energy topics. Through various field visits and presentations, the participants gained an insight into how Switzerland manages energy, and how the EEA supports this.

Special attention was given to ensure that the all-inclusive scope of the EEA will be mirrored by the selected diverse program points that include energy-efficient buildings, innovative heating solutions, urban mobility, spatial energy planning, energy supply, disposal and renaturation activities.

The Serbian representatives showed great interest in the concepts and projects that are being implemented in Switzerland, and established good relations with their Swiss hosts that will be relevant for the future efforts of Serbian municipalities to achieve progress with the EEA.

"The major lesson for us is that urban planning should be connected with the energy planning of a municipality", said Aleksandar Puljevic, Advisor from the Energy Efficiency Department of the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy.